The People vs. Larry Flynt

Viewed in
2012

Formats
HDTV

Premise
Woody Harrelson stars in the biopic about the creator of Hustler magazine and his fight for freedom of speech.

Loved
Courtney Love.

Liked
Rest of the cast, courtroom scenes.

Thoughts
An enjoyable film due to the performances.

Harrelson was perfectly cast, especially as he transformed from charmer to bitter clown.  Having said that, Love stole the show as Flynt's wife.  I recall this being a very unusual casting decision, but watching the film, I was entranced by her presence and impressed by her range, morphing from plucky youngster to stark junkie/AIDS victim.  Together, Harrelson and Love effortless gave the story the heart.

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast was rounded out with strong performances from recognizable faces like John Schiavelli, Crispin Glover, and James Cromwell.  It was incredibly amusing to see an adorably babyface Edward Norton, and James Carville pre-Skeletor.

My favorite scenes were the courtroom scenes.  Since I was so invested in Harrelson's character, I bought into/was entertained by his antics and jests.  Throughout, there were interesting explorations into both sides of the first amendment and price of civil liberties, which I found smart, not preachy.

The writing was solid all around.  In addition to funny/sharp dialog and well-crafted characters, it did a good job of upping the ante, raising the stakes for Flynt and his misfits, leading to the final showdown in the Supreme Court.  I knew very little about Flynt's life, so it was amusing to learn about his brief Christianity detour.

The People vs. Larry Flynt was a fascinating and entertaining look into a controversial figure who flummoxed many Americans, who only could exist in America, and fought to make sure that possibility remained so.